


the f word

by syncopation



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Fluff, M/M, smoll cuddly and fluffy josh, with a little cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 03:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4862237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syncopation/pseuds/syncopation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>fermata<br/>[fer-mah-tuh]<br/>1. the sustaining of a note, chord, or rest for a duration longer than the indicated time value, with the length of the extension at the performer's discretion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the f word

Neku absently ran his hand through Joshua's hair, reading through the notes of what each different musical symbol meant, reading over the next word  _fermato._ He really should have known by now, with all his time surrounded by music.

_Okay_ so he did learn the terms, but that was years ago. At LEAST 2 years, because Neku remembers trying to learn too many things at once after he got back from his 3 weeks in Hell, like skateboarding from Beat, sewing from Shiki, and the differences between a squirrel and a chipmunk from Rhyme, along with some instruments that were picked up and promptly forgotten about.

(Neku realized a month after it that he actually had more fun than not and sometimes fondly goes over the moments in his head so, fine, not quite Hell, but something close to it.)

 Neku lost his place, but doesn't remember when he started reading again because suddenly he's at  _finale_ and yeah, no, no finale just yet. He untangles his hand from Joshua's hair trace and find where he last was but there's a grunt and Joshua's burying his face deeper into Neku and it makes him wonder how they got into this position.

It wasn't like it was unnatural to see Joshua get cuddly with Neku anymore, it's been going on for months, maybe even a year now. Joshua just showing up when Neku's done with whatever work he has, or if he's feeling more needy than usual, wrapping his arms around Neku the moment he comes home. The end up in all sorts of forms, the current one being Neku sitting down (laying down if someone were to walk in) against the couch, legs spread far apart enough for Joshua to nestle into his abdomen, arms wrapped around Neku and his trapped arm. It was awkward the first few times Joshua had walked, but that was because the two were nearly the same height. 17 year old Neku could easily make a nice nest for eternally 15 year old Joshua.

(Neku expected to be overheated within minutes of contact the first few times to, but Joshua personally took it to himself to be cold in the Summer and hot during the Winter. It made the partially itchy sweats and the kind of sweat covered thin shirt a little easier to bear.)

'Hey, Composer, I need to find where I was.' Neku thought, he rarely uses his voice when Josh's- _ahem-_ Joshua's around, because there's no need to. Their conversations are Neku's thoughts, Joshua scanning him without really meaning to, and Joshua imprinting his reply onto Neku.  _  
_

The God of Shibuya grumbled, and Neku's book floated in front of him, one word, _fermata,_ having a dull glow around the text. It floated back down to where it was, word still glowing. Neku started playing with Joshua's hair again and he felt the silent, pleased sigh.

"Fermata." Neku spoke out loud because he was tired of thinking now, going over the the definition of the word in his head.

"Holding a note or pause for as however long the performer pleases, but that's usually a freedom taken away by the conductor is that person's in a orchestra." Joshua responded, voice louder than it should be because he should be muffled by Neku, but he's Joshua so it's not questioned.

"I know what it means, doofus." It's said without any bite, Neku giving his fully attention to Joshua so now he's not absently running his fingers but instead tracing the back of his head where his back hairline is and Joshua's hair is nice, he has nice hair. "Are there anythings in the UG that would be called it?"

The sentence was messy, but Joshua understands and shakes his head slowly. He flops over onto his back and Neku has to take his hands out of his hair and  _aw,_ but Joshua is looking up at him with his alexandrite eyes.

"Nothing in the UG, no, but..." The way he trails off means that he wants Neku to inquire because that's how Joshua is, always calculating, rarely doing anything that he doesn't plan out.

"But?" Neku throws a bone, he's the one who asked so might as well.

Joshua puts up so that they're cupping Neku's face, thumb tracing his jaw with a light smile, no wait, scratch that, it's a smirk. "We could be that fermata, Neku."

It was probably suppose to be something suggestive but Neku still has to think about because  _what?_

One step at a time. Fermatas are notes or pauses or whatevers that are held out as long as the person with the stick says so. Neku and Joshua are friends (some would argue that they're something more but shut up Shiki). They had a rocky start in the beginning because Josh's- _Joshua's-_ an ass and-

Is Josh saying that they're just something that's holding out for now and that everything will end as soon as something with a  _damn stick says so._

Neku flicks Joshua's nose hard, making sure that his growing nails scratch against his stupid, perfect skin. The bastard's not even phased, but he still asks, dropping his hands:

"My, what's the matter Neku?" He has the audacity to cock his head to the side and it makes him look even more like a kid.

Neku doesn't say a thing, just stares down at the God with a shit-eating smirk. It's not that he doesn't want to, it's more like he has all these reactions, just no words for them. Neku's still looking for those, and when he finds a way to start his sentence and opens his mouth, he gets cut off.

"You're the conductor of this orchestra, Neku." Neku was about to punch him because he's  _not the Conductor, I haven't said yes (yet) you piece of-_

"You control the performers, the tempo, the everything, because-"  _There's_ the rare incident where Joshua accidentally says something he doesn't mean to.

"Because? You ought to finish your sentences,  _sir._ " Neku put bite into that, but not too much, just being more sarcastic than usual, and probably more than he should be. Joshua creases his eyebrows at him and chooses his next word carefully, Neku knows that he is because there's no other reason why he would be quite for a solid 2 minutes.

Talk about high tension.

"Because there's only one person that outranks the conductor." The Composer, right, but that's UG talk, not RG talk. Neku may not know much about music, but he  _does_ know that conductors change the pieces they're given, at least teachers do because that's what his did for a piece before.

"But that's just the problem between us, Neku." Joshua's still talking? Man he takes long pauses.

"I don't think such a thing has ever happened before but you, Neku, you're such an oddity because-" Another break? Who was laying with his head on Neku's lap and what did he do with J-

"Because you've made a Composer a player." Joshua looks off the the side in a pout, cheeks flushed a bluish-purple and oh my God, was he blushing? Sure Neku knows that Joshua doesn't have a normal body and he doesn't have a proper heartbeat much a less blood flow but  _blushing a bluish-purple?_

And never mind that was Joshua  _blushing?_

Neku doesn't even know what he said but he knew it was about him and he did something and because of it Joshua is actually blushing so he'll take it as a victory.

Now what?

"Uh... If I'm the one conducting, I'll make sure that the femata never goes out?" Neku cracks a dork smile, not even really a smile more of just showing his teeth, and squishes Joshua's face and  _whoa_ his face is  _freezing._

Joshua blinks, cocks up on of his eyebrows in confusion, and laughs. Doesn't giggle, doesn't snicker, he actually laughs and it's nice so Neku joins him, moving his hands so that he's just cupping Joshua's face like he did his and they keep laughing.

"That was dumb, Neku." Joshua says after a few more (kinda nice) giggles. Both of his (cold, but bearable) hands move over Neku's squeezing them with a sigh. _  
_

"Yeah, I know, but what you said was dumber." Neku huffs another laugh after talking and then they sit in a comfy silence. Neku moves one of his hands to play with Joshua's hair, the another hand places itself over Joshua's body, over where his heart should be (you never know with his kid.) It's particularly colder on his chest than his face, but that's fine, the weather's getting hotter anyway.

Josh's,  _ugh,_ no wait, yeah, Josh's because it's okay to call Josh, Josh- Josh's eyes are closed and Neku would have thought he was asleep if he didn't know that he was still awake, and Josh's hair is still nice, and everything is nice. Everything is great. This is their fermata, and it's really nice.

* * *

 

Neku holds back a snort that night while he's laying in bed because fermata starts with an  _f_ and it could be used as an "f word", a joke that everyone would punch him the arm for because he's acting like a 5 year old, but they would still laugh because they all act like 5 year olds and it's funny.

**Author's Note:**

> first story that i meant to post ages ago whoopsies


End file.
